Botham and Imran back in court

Ian Botham and Imran Khan, two of world cricket's leading allrounders in the 1980s, returned to the High Court yesterday to argue over the settlements of the costs from the high-profile libel action that took place there in 1996.

According to London's Daily Telegraph, Imran, who won the verdict in the original trial, is claiming £250,000 but says that he will settle for £75,000 less. Botham's lawyers yesterday asked the presiding judge, Justice Richards, to throw out the cost application. However, if Imran's claim is not thrown out, Botham will claim counter-costs and negotiations between their lawyers will be complex. Botham and Imran have argued over the costs since the original action eight years ago, and the hearing lasted all day yesterday.

Botham brought the original libel action after reading an interview given by Imran in the magazine India Today. He alleged that Imran had libelled him by saying that he was a racist and a cheat, and saying that he had no class or upbringing. But halfway through the trial Imran stopped trying to say his comments were justified, and instead claimed he had been misquoted.

Justice Richards is expected to give his judgment within the next week or so.